


I don't predict the future, I don't care about the past

by gutsandglitter



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Abuse, F/M, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-04 22:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3093728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gutsandglitter/pseuds/gutsandglitter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been one of the first parenting decisions they had ever made, long before they were parents.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I don't predict the future, I don't care about the past

“Lizzie, you sure I can’t tempt you with some decaf coffee? I bought a metric ton of it the year your father swore off caffeine and he never drank it,”

Jed glanced at Abbey over the top of his newspaper. “Because I soon saw the error of my ways and resumed my ravenous consumption of legal stimulants.”

Abbey snorted and swatted him.

Liz smiled. “I’m good mom. Decaf just makes me crave the real stuff more.” She looked out the window and absentmindedly drummed her fingers against her swollen belly. “You know, Doug and I were talking about spankings the other day.”

Jed began coughing violently.

Abbey raised her eyebrows. “You sure this is a conversation you want to have with your father in the room? You know he has a delicate constitution.”

Liz rolled her eyes. “God, not like that. You guys are so gross. I mean when the baby comes, what we’re going to do in the way of punishments.”

Jed’s coughing subsided and he began meticulously folding the newspaper back up, paying careful attention to each crease.

Liz continued. “Because Doug’s parents spanked him when he was a kid, and probably rightfully so. From the stories I’ve heard he was a complete brat. But I don’t remember you guys ever spanking us or anything like that. Did you guys ever spank us?”

Jed’s sharpened the paper’s creases with his thumbnail, pointedly avoiding making eye contact with Abbey.

 

It had been one of the first parenting decisions they had ever made, long before they were parents.

Abbey had been silently applying antibacterial cream to Jed’s split lip for what felt like the thousandth time. She had known better than to ask questions or get angry now, her role was to bandage him up and hold him tightly afterwards until the twinkle began to return to his blackened eyes.

This was partly why she had decided to go into surgery rather than general medicine. No matter how hard you try to convince people to do what’s best for themselves, you can’t make decisions for them. All you can do is be there at the end to pick up the pieces and try to put them back together again.

She moved her hand to the cut on his eyebrow which was starting to bleed again. She touched the fine red line with the tip of her finger and he hissed slightly. She pulled her hand back, but he reached out and grabbed hold of it tightly.

She looked into his eyes which were no longer dull and sad; now there was a quiet fury in them that frightened her.

He spoke in a low measured voice that sent chills down her spine.

“As God as my witness Abbey, I swear I will never lay a finger on our children.”

Abbey nodded silently and he released his hold on her hand. She bit her lip and resumed her task, knowing better than to bring up the fact that they had only been dating for six months.

 

Abbey reached under the table and laced her fingers with Jed’s. He squeezed her hand tightly, not unlike the way he had that night so many years before.

“No Liz, your father and I never spanked you or your sisters.”


End file.
